Paris, with a population over 2, 2 million and almost 12 million in its metropolitan area, is the capital of France, being the second greater metropolitan area of Europe. Because of its dimensions, the city depends on an impeccable transport system.

Their routes are kept in an excellent state but the only problem is the excess of vehicles. It has a network of buses, 3 tramway lines, 16 underground (and overground) lines 3 express commuter lines, in addition to the Montmatre funicular and the Trans-Val-of-Marne (TVM) line (a reserved platform bus line in operation since 1993 to cover the Southeastern neighborhoods of Paris). The entire network is designed so as to make it easy to move around the city. All these are controlled by the RATP, the Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens.

The RATP operates lines numbered from 20 to 96 in Paris “intra-walls” as well as the numbered lines from 100 to 690 in the periphery of Paris, where the service is shared with other companies grouped in the OPTILE (Professional Organization of Carriers of Île de France). Although nowadays, it has lost its logic, the numbers refer to an easy scheme, designed by Lagarrigue: the first digit corresponds to a central zone, although the minimum number is the 20:

20 Gare Saint-Lazare

30 Gare of l'Est

40 Gare du Nord

50 sector République

60 sector Gare de Lyon/Gare d'Austerlitz

70 sector Hôtel de Ville/Châtelet

80 sector Luxemburg/Panthéon

90 Gare Montparnasse

The second number corresponds to “a peripheral” zone:

2 Southwest - right bank of the Seine/Porte d'Auteuil

3 the West – Porte d'Auteuil /Porte de Champerret

4 the Northwest – porte de Champerret/Porte de Montmartre

5 North and the Northeast – Porte de Montmartre/Porte de Pantin

6 Porte de Pantin/right bank of the Seine

7 Southeast - left bank of the Seine/Porte de Gentilly

8 the South – Porte de Gentilly – Porte de Versailles

9 Southwest – Porte de Versailles - left bank of the Seine

The buses run from 5.30 to 20.30. Most lines continue their service until 00.30. At night there are special lines, known as the Noctilien, that run until 5.00.

You may need to remember the 32, as it is one of the lines that takes you to the Roland Garros venue, (Porte d' Auteuil stop). The bus leaves the Gare de l’East, (so it starts with 3) and goes towards the west, (so it takes 2 as the second digit). Thus, line 32 connects Gare of l'Est and Porte d'Auteuil. It runs from 6.15 to 20.30 direction Porte d' Auteuil and from 6,57 to 21,15 direction Gare de l' Est, Monday to Saturday, with a frequency of 10 minutes on working days and between 10 and 15, according to the hour of the day, on Saturdays. Sundays and bank holidays, it does not work.